Tension controlling fence structure



March 18, 1958 c. J. MCKILLOP 2,827,265

TENSION CONTROLLING FENCE STRUCTURE Filed April 25, 1955 INVENTOR ited rates re TENSllON QONIRQLLILJG FENCE STRUCTURE Clinton J. McKillop, Parker, S. Dalr.

Application April 25, 1955, Serial No. 503,512

1 Qlairn. (Cl. 256-41) This invention relates to a tension controlling fence structure.

The invention is more particularly directed to tension controlling fence structures of the character now in vogue and particularly on farms which generally comprise a plurality of vertically spaced parallel wires having corresponding ends thereof secured to a fence post at one end of a relatively wide gap in the fence and wherein the said plurality of wires at their opposite ends are secured to a vertical post or bar normally retained adjacent a fence post at the other end of said gap by a wire loop or loops removably engaged with said bar and said last fence post.

As is generally known, farms usually comprise a plurality of fields which are separated by fences and which, in most instances, include a row of posts to which a plurality of longitudinally extending strands of wire are secured providing what is generally known as a wire fence.

It has been common practice for a long time to provide relatively heavy hinged gates on farms at points of regular travel, such as at an outlet or outlets from a barnyard.

However, occasion arises for the need of a passage in one or more field separating fences as for the transfer of a wagon or a piece of machinery from one field to another, even though such fields are separately accessible at other points.

Since many pieces of farm machinery are of substantial width, it is necessary to provide a relatively wide gap in a fence for their transfer from one field to another and since such occasion for transfer may be rare, it is not economically feasible to provide an expensive hinged gate at such point.

Accordingly flexible wire gates of the general character above referred to have been provided for such purposes. While such flexible wire gates are for the most part highly simple in construction, the main problem resides in tension means which not only functions to draw the wires in the gate taut, but also functions to hold the gate in alignment with a fence having a gap in which the gate is disposed and such means may properly be termed tension latch means.

With the above considerations in mind, a primary feature of the present invention is a highly simple structure adapted for disposition between a fixed vertical post and a vertical bar to which adjacent ends of gate wires are secured and whose opposite ends are secured to a second fixed vertical post, and wherein such structure includes tension means embodying loops removably engageable with said bar.

A further feature of the invention is improved means for disposing said fixed posts relative to adjacent fence posts.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein l QQ Fig. 1 is a foreshortened side elevational view of a flexible wire gate disposed within a gap in a fence and showing the improved tension latch operatively associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a cable drum structure embodied in said tension latch.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a broken front elevational view of the drum winding handle.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of the structure, it is to be understood that in the provision of a fence of the character referred to, wherein the wires embodied therein are placed under substantial tension by the improved tension means, it is desirable to brace the posts at opposite ends of a gap provided in a fence and in which the flexible wire gate is installed.

For the above purpose supplementary ground embedded gate posts 11 may be disposed within the fence gap and adjacent the ground embedded fence posts it disposed at opposite ends of the gap, and each pair of posts 10, 11 may be rigidly connected by a horizontal bar 12.

Also disposed between each fence post lit and the adjacent gate post 11 is a guy wire or cable 13 which together with bar 12 serve to maintain the gate posts H in rigid vertical position. The opposite ends of guy wires 13 are looped over the posts it and lit, as indicated at 14 and 15 respectively and a further loop 16 is provided in each guy wire 13 intermediate the loops l4 and 15 and which embraces the respective bar 12.

The gate per se comprises a plurality of wires 17 which may be continuations of the fence wires and Whose free ends are looped about a vertical rod 38. Thus the gate 17, 18 in closed position substantially spans the gap between posts it which are in practice in substantial spaced relation, the drawing requiring foreshortening of the gate.

The tension latch means comprises a cable drum structure w for disposal intermediate the upper and lower ends of one of the posts 11 and a pulley structure 20 for disposal adjacent the upper and the lower end of said post 11.

The cable drum structure 19 in a preferred structural embodiment thereof comprises a generally U-shaped bracket including a base 21 and opposite parallel side walls 22. The base 21 is provided with apertures 23 for receiving screws or bolts 24 for securement of the bracket to the post 11, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The base 21 further includes opposite end portions 25 which are partially severed from the main central portion of the base by opposite side inwardly directed slits 26 whereby the end portions 25 to the extent of such slits are adapted to be bent about the post 11.

The bracket side walls 22 are provided with axially aligned bearings 27 in which is rotatably supported an axle 28 which, as indicated, is preferably of tubular form and each end thereof is provided with a plurality (preferably four) of slots 25*.

Disposed between the bracket side walls 22 and suitably secured to the axle 28 is a cable winding drum 38. The drum 36 is adapted to support a pair of cables 31 which are oppositely wound thereon and the inner ends of the cables may be secured to the drum by a T-head bolt 32 which extends through the axle 28 and the drum 3%).

In order to confine the cables to opposite end portions of the drum without interference, the drum is provided with a central circumferential rib 33 and opposite end flanges 34-.

A ratchet wheel 35 is secured to the drum immediately within one of the bracket side walls 22 and a locking dog or pawl 36 is pivoted to said one of the side walls, as at 37,;fr cooperation with the ratchet wheel. The pawl 37 is preferably provided with an aperture 38 for alignment with a similar aperture in the adjacent bracket side wall for receiving a padlock to avoid unauthorized tampering with, the tension means.

A' handle 39, is provided for imparting rotation to the.

axle 28;; and the drum 3i and sameflincludes a cylindrical head 40 receivable into either end of the tubular axle 23 and same is provided with radial pins 41 removablyreceivable within the slots 29 in the axle 23. The handle.

also includes .an elongated arm 42 which is preferably curved outwardly to avoid hand injury by the wire.

The pulley structures Zlleach include a casing 4-3 securable to the adjacent post 11 by screws or bolts 44 and a pulley 45 is rotatably supported in each teasing over which a respective cable 31 extends and the free ends of the, cables are provided with .loops ifiremovably engage.

able over the upperand lower ends of bar'lS.

Having set forth the. tension latch construction in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment, the operation thereof is as follows:

When it is found desirable to provide a normally. closed passage in a fence, the fence wires between two fence posts are removed and if a' substantially wide passage is required, one of the fence posts may be removed. Under any condition, the resulting passage will be bordered by a fence post 1t) at each side. thereof. A gate post 11 is then positioned in relatively close spaced relation to each opposite fence post and same is rigidly braced by the bar 12 and guy wire 13..

The cable drum structure 19 is then secured to onev ofthev posts 11 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, 'as indicated in Pig. 1, and a pulley structure 29 is secured to the said post adjacent both the upper and loops 46 freely engageable over opposite ends of the rod 46 and after engagement of such loops with the rod, the handle 39;.will be, operatively engaged with the axle 28 from either end thereof and the drum 3%) will be rotated witha resulting winding of the cables 31 thereon and a tensioning of the wires 17 embodied in the gate.

Upon, proper tensioning of the gate wires 17, the pawl 36 will engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 35 to lock the 1 tension and the pawl will be in a position to receive the padlock, asabove referred to.

When it is desired to open the gate, the pawl 36 will be unlocked, raised and the tension in the cables 31 will be automatically released whereby the loops 46 may be freely released from engagement with the rod 18.

While the gate is disclosed as being disposed in a gap in a strand Wire fence, same is equally applicable to woven wire fences and in which instance the strandwires 17 would be replaced by a length of a fence Woven wire.

While I have disclosed. my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claim. l i

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

A fence structure comprising in combination with a pair of horiiontally spaced *ground' embedded vertical fence posts to which a plurality of vertically spaced wires are connected a pair of rigidly supported ground embedded vertical gate posts disposed between said fence posts with each thereof in horizontally spaced relation to a respective fence post, bracing means disposed between each gate post and the corresponding fence post comprising a horizontal bar having its opposite ends rigidly connected to the gate post and fence post and a guy wire having looped ends engaged over said gate post and said fence post and having an intermediate loop embracing said horizontal bar, the said fence wires having corresponding terminal portions secured to one of said gate posts and the said wires being secured to the other gate post with substantial lengths projecting beyond same, a vertical rod disposed between said gate posts to which the ends of said substantial lengths of the Wires are secured, and manually operable means disposed between said one of said gate posts and said vertical rod for holding the rod in fixed spaced relation to said one of said fence posts with the said substantial lengths of wires under tension. 7

References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 807,591 Batzler Dec. 19, 1905 1,027,237 Campbell May 21, 1912 1,106,995. Verner et al. Aug. 11,1914 1,208,361 Olson Dec. 12, 1916 1,353,083 Stephens Sept. 14, 1920 1,985,878 AubOl Jan 1,. 1935 2,592,722 N011 Apr. 1 5, 1952 2,743,125 Wagner Apr. 24, 1956 

